On Tuesday, Sept. 1, Boulder Police received information that four people had money fraudulently drawn from their debit accounts over the previous weekend. Each victim had lost around $1,500, drawn from various Wells Fargo ATMs on the Front Range. After further investigation, police learned that all four victims had used their debit cards at the King Soopers at 1650, 30th Street in Boulder, between May 26 and June 24.
In a separate incident, First Bank revealed that they believe a “skimmer” was attached to one of their ATMs, and that more than a thousand debit and credit cards might be compromised.
“It’s not just Boulder; other communities are having the same issues,” said Laurie Ogden, Boulder Police spokesperson. Though Boulder Police have been investigating the cases, Ogden said that no arrests have been made.
According to an FBI news report, skimming often involves the use of a card reader, which can be attached to the ATM’s card slot, and will record the information on all cards that are inserted into the ATM. Often used in conjunction with a fake card reader is a hidden camera, which records PIN numbers as they are keyed in. The FBI have also seen instances in which a fake keypad is placed over the ATM’s keypad, and records PIN numbers. Skimmers are normally undetectable to users, as they are designed to match the front of the ATM.
The spike in card fraud here in Boulder also represents a growing national, and global trend. According to Business Insider, and The Nilson Report, the total amount of money fraudulently taken from bank accounts per year in the U.S. more than doubled between 2009 and 2013. In addition, losses due to card fraud in the United States alone make up more than half of the total amount lost globally.
To be safe:
Check your online banking regularly for transactions you don’t recognize. If you spot any suspicious transactions, begin by typing the name of the business on the transaction into a search engine. Some businesses use different names for their online banking, but a quick search will typically bring up the correct name. If nothing comes up, call your bank immediately.
Check ATMs for any unfamiliar attachments. If unsure, use another ATM. Skimmers are designed to be difficult to spot, but anything that looks out of place is probably a good reason to be suspicious.
Consider changing to a chip card. According to Visa, chip cards offer additional security on verification process by generating a unique code for each transaction, without which transactions cannot be approved.
The City of Boulder released the following message on the city website last week:
“Police are asking anyone who may have been a victim of this crime or have information on this case to call Detective Jeff Kithcart at 303-441-3376. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.”
Contact CU Independent News Staff Ryan Ellis at ryan.ellis@colorado.edu
